Improvement in cartridges



G. W. MORSE. Cartridge-Case.

Patented Oct. 28. 1856.

NPETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WAsmMGTON. D c.

GEORGE W. MORSE, OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES.

specificationforming part ofLcttcrs Patent No. 15,996, dated Octcbcr 28, 1.856.

Toall whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Moasn, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have invented a new and useful breech and prime-sealing (capable of being readily reprimed) and automatically-retractible cartridge shell or case for breech-loading fire-arms or cannon, light enough for transportation, yet strong enough to resist the blow of the hammer; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, made part of this specification, and lettered to correspond therewith, similar letters referring to similar parts in the several figures.

The nature of my invention consists in pro viding a soft-metal cartridge-case with a priming apparatus, whereby I seal the breech and vent of a breech-loading gun at firing as effectually as if the breech were solid metal around and back of the bore, leaving no escape for gas except at the muzzle. My cartridge-case is also capable of being automatically withdrawn, whether fired or not fired, and is so constructed that sufficient resistance is made to the blow of the hammer so as always to effect ignition if the primer does not fail, and if this does fail, it can be readily renewed or replaced. My cartridge-case is also capable of being practically useful for breech-loading cannon as well as small-arms.

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5am central and longitudinal sections, in isonietrical perspective of the cartridgecase and prime-sealers.

a is the cylindrical part of the shell; f, the expansible portion of the after part, and made of sufficient substance not to burst and leak at the breech-joint l, the unchangeable part for automatic retraction I), the outer part of the after part of the shell, being a head-piece of hard material, affording theunchangeable part, as at I, in some instances, or set in the soft material as in Fig. 2. c is a copper eyelet, by which a thin cylinder may be attached to the hard head-piece b, as in Fig. 1, the substance atf being furnished by aleaden ring or a wad, as in Fig. 5. d is the touchhole. In Fig. 5 the cylinder a is made to clasp the piece b but the reverse of this may be used, the pieceb being capped to receive the cylinder at. In Fig. 3 the soft material is attaehed to the hard material by being forced through holes 9 in the piece I). In Fig. 4 the soft material is cast around thehard material, consisting of one or more pieces of tin. In Fig. 4 the primer is shown in position, with the priming between it and the hard material I), the copper disk 0 being larger in diameter than the percussion-pin driven against it by the hammer, and the edge of the disk having a rim to fasten it to the soft material, so that it one primer fail another can be set in the same place and fixed there. 0, Fig. 2, has the same characteristics, and c, Fig. 1, is made to clasp the head-piece I) when 1) forms the part for automatic retraction. Fig. 5 shows the copper disk 7.1, made to adhere to the outer side of a disk, it, of paper, of the size of b. On the inner side of h the priming i is fixed, and the disk It is pasted or glued to a, where it clasps the piece I). This method may be used with all the other figures.

\Vhen the gun is fired the part f swells out and seals the breech-joint the part b resists the hammer-blow; the disk 6 or it, together with the after part of the cartridge -case, is driven back against the breech-piece, and, being broader than the percussion-pin, or the aperture for the passage of the pin through the sliding breechpiece, seals around it, so that the more forcibly the cartridge recoils the more securely is the vent sealed, there being no vent-hole through the copper disk. Finally, the part Z remains unchanged, whether the cartridge be fired or not fired, and allows the cartridge-case to be automatically withdrawn from the gun. If the primer fail to fire, another can readily replace the one failing.

Having thus fully, clearly, and exactly described and represented the nature and scope of my invention, I would state that I am aware that a metallic cartridge-holder of elastic metal has been invented and used for preventing the escape of gas through the joints of breech-loading guns; but in this case the gas was found to escape at the vent, and also between the case and the bore of the gun.

I am also aware that a cartridge has been made so as to contain the powder in the cavity of the projectile, and to have the powder covered by a cylindrical cap of metal, which contained the percussion priming, and fitted over the cylindrical part of the projectile, while a small orifice in this cap permitted the cartridge-case, as constructed, with the prim in g apparatus, as constructed, or their equivalents, whereby I effect the entire exclusion of any and all escape of the gas produced by the combustion of the powder of the cartridge and priming, except by the one channelthe bore of the barrel of the gun-the breech-joints and'priming-vent being thereby so efl'ectually sealed and closed that no air can escape at these parts of the gun after the charge" is fired until the cartridge-case is withdrawn from the bore, although air blown in at the muzzle before firing the charge might escape through these joints, as it would in the cases above referred to.

GEO. 'W. MORSE. Attest:

THOS. B. CLINTON, GILBERT B. TowLEs. 

